With the proliferation of the Internet and intranets, there has been an increasing demand for the creation of Web sites. A Web site typically includes a collection of web pages in HTML format. Each page includes content, such as text, graphics, or other multimedia material. The page may also include links and buttons (e.g., "Submit").
Creating a web site typically requires generating a plurality of pages using HTML. Adding content to a web site once created or modifying the web site also involves using HTML. This makes it difficult for individuals without specific HTML knowledge to create a web site or to create content for or modify an existing web site.
Among the inherent difficulties in creating and maintaining such sites is the problem of circulating the proposed Web pages to various individuals for review and approval prior to incorporating the material into a Web site. One technique is to circulate printed copies of the proposed pages and their content for approval. However, printed copies cannot fully demonstrate the operation of links to other objects contained within the hypertext, adequately display certain types of graphics, accommodate audio or video, support interactivity with the viewer, or otherwise fully illustrate the capabilities of the page. This technique also exhibits other problems inherent in a manual system, including a limited ability to track the approval process and remind cognizant personnel of the need to provide their approval in a timely manner. The manual system also does not fully support defining and limiting a reviewer's approval to specific portions of the document or to taking specific actions. Thus, for example, the one person might be responsible to review and approve artwork, while another person might be responsible for reviewing and approving other content.
Another difficulty encountered in Web site creation and subsequent modification arises from the fact that often several individuals are involved in creating and authorizing the Web pages. Often, the format and content of Web pages involves the collaboration of many individuals. For example, one or more persons may propose the text for a page, another may be responsible for graphics, another may add appropriate legal notices (e.g., trademark or copyright notices), etc. In such cases, coordinating the collaborative effort may be difficult and if done manually can cause delays. A manual approach also makes it difficult to adequately track development, or ensure that all contributions are timely and properly integrated in the Web site. Similar problems are posed in connection with ensuring that all requisite approvals are obtained by authorized content approvers prior to posting the final version of the content to the Web site.
Another drawback of known Web sites is the relatively inflexible security features. Typically, either a person trying to access a Web site or an area of a Web site has access or not. Additionally, all users authorized typically are provided the same information. Existing Web sites are generally incapable of identifying a user and automatically providing information specific to the user. Thus, the host typically limits information provided on the site to that which can be made generally available to all authorized users. This limits flexibility in customizing the types of information presented to different categories of users.